3 month old and swaddling issues

[ladyboz]

Good morning! I have a 3 month old (14 weeks this Sunday) who wiggles her arms out of her swaddle. It isnt much of an issue at night as she tends to just sleep and her arms out don't bother her much if she's wiggled them out. However, it does seem to effect her daytime naps. Lately she's been wriggling her arms out of her swaddle. Sometimes it isn't a problem if she's sleeping, but if she's in a light sleep it sometimes wakes her up. She also jerks her arms a lot and Im afraid she'll wake herself up (sometimes she does!). Should I reswaddle her even if she's asleep (but moving around) or should I stop swaddling her altogether? I forget what Tracy said in her book about how long to swaddle or when to let an arm or two out. Any help would be appreciated! thanks!

[nebulosity_n]

Hi there! I checked with my copy of Tracy's book, and it says "I recommend swaddling at least up to 3 or 4 months, although some babies can go as long as 7 or 8 months."
My DS is 6.5 months, but we still swaddle him, because he's not a very calm baby. He starts crawling and can't soothe himself. But I'm aware that for safety reasons you should stop swaddling when your baby starts rolling over. I know that I'm doing wrong, but when my baby really wants activity at night, he easily unswaddles himself and starts crawling. But I don't recommend you to swaddle so long, as I understand now that it's a really big problem to teach him unswaddled sleeping. It's safer is to tuck in a light bedsheet from both sides between the mattress and the side panel of the cot, as children by 6 month can wake themselves by flinching. I got this advice from Gina Ford's book.

[ladyboz]

Thanks so much for the reply! It does make sense that at some point she'll need to learn to fall asleep without being swaddled. I've noticed that sometimes she can't fall asleep without being wrapped. She's so cute, cause as soon as shes swaddled she smiles and then drifts off to sleep. lol But, a couple minutes into her sleep she wriggles that arm out. Since she's 3 months and keep wriggling an arm out, I might try wrapping her with her arms out and see how that goes. This is my first little one and I just don't want to start any bad habits. lol

[nebulosity_n]

Oh, you're so lucky that your child smiles while swaddling... It's so cute.  My DS usually doesn't like swaddling process, but when he's already swaddled, he starts soothing himself and becomes sleepy, so I have to swaddle him every time he goes to sleep even though he hates it. When his crawling passion becomes less intensive, I'll start teaching him to sleep unswaddled. Also I know that after 4 months it is recommended to swaddle only one hand (baby can use her free hand as a pacifier), and when baby is ready and get used to a free hand - to swaddle only legs, as with free hands baby is safe.